Sponsor News: Win $35K in Nokia Apps Contest

The Calling All Innovators Contest from ProgrammableWeb sponsor Nokia is offering app developers $35K in prizes for building creative applications for the Nokia mobile development platform (which reaches the world's largest audience of mobile device owners). The contest, which ends next week, is organized into three categories:

Eco-Challenge: tools to minimize the environmental impact of mobile use, and help people make sustainable choices. Examples include charger reminders, learning applications, navigation info, and recycling tips.

Emerging Markets: services for those in developing countries, for what's known as the Next Billion mobile users. Health information, low-cost infotainment, SMS-driven apps, literacy and agricultural assistance can help in an increasingly connected world.

Technology Showcase: your snappiest and showiest killer app, anything that can run on an S60 or Series 40 phone, or Nokia Internet tablet.

All the details on applications guidelines and prizes are found here, and tutorials for a quick start are available in each of the categories. The applications are due by December 15th. Finalists in each category will be flown to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in February of 2009, where the winner will be announced.

Mashup developers with their rapid development skills should be inspired by the tight deadline, and Nokia-optimized mobile apps can be built using the same open technologies as web apps: XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Flash Lite is also supported. Get support from 4 million members at Forum Nokia, the world's largest mobile developer community.

For our readers in Europe, the Nokia team will be at LeWeb '08 in Paris this week - stop in and talk to them about your mobile innovations.